Wysocki Seeks Four-Peat at Ledgestone Open

The Discraft Ledgestone Open Presented by Merrell is set to kick off the second half of 2023 at the DGPT - Disc Golf Pro Tour's Elite Series event. This highly anticipated tournament will take place in Peoria, IL, and marks the return of the Elite + format, which features higher purses, increased media focus, and double points awarded.

The Ledgestone Open has a rich history, dating back to 2011 when it was founded by tournament director Nate Heinhold. Over the years, it has evolved into one of the largest disc golf events in the world, earning National Tour Stop status in 2015 with the largest pro purse in the sport's history. In 2016, the Ledgestone Open joined the DGPT and has been a staple on the tour ever since.

This year's event promises to be just as exciting, with three separate courses that will challenge even the most skilled players. The FPO division will compete on the Northwood Black (Rounds 1 and 4) and Sunset Hills (Rounds 2 and 3) courses, while the MPO division will play the Eureka Temp (Rounds 1 and 4) and Northwood Black (Rounds 2 and 3) courses.

Northwood Black is an 8,678-foot par-68 for FPO players and a 10,499-foot par-68 for MPO players. This course is characterized by its heavily wooded layout, forcing players to hit precise shots off the tee and navigate through dense foliage to reach the pin. Hole 12 on Northwood Black stands out as one of the toughest holes in the division, with only nine birdies achieved last season.

In contrast, the Eureka Temp course offers a more open design, featuring water carries across Eureka Lake and tight OB lines. This course requires players to control their upshots and execute daring putts to avoid hazards. Iconic holes on the Eureka Temp include the water tower on hole 12 and the bridge shot on hole 9.

Sunset Hills is another challenging course that will test FPO players' skills, with a mix of water carries, OB, and sand trap hazards. This course has proven to be highly scorable for FPO players in previous years, resulting in thrilling moments like Holyn Handley's albatross throw on hole 6 last year.

In the MPO division, Ricky Wysocki is looking to make history with a four-peat at the Ledgestone Open. Wysocki has already won this event three times (2020, 2021, and 2022) and will be joined by top players like Chris Dickerson and Simon Lizotte in the feature card on Thursday.

Missy Gannon took down the title in 2022 with a dominating performance, finishing six strokes ahead of second place. However, Paige Pierce and Catrina Allen are also strong contenders to take home the trophy. Pierce has won this event multiple times, while Allen holds the record for the most Ledgestone Open victories with five titles.

Weather conditions may pose an additional challenge for players on Saturday and Sunday, as forecasted rain showers and possible thunderstorms are expected to make the course even more treacherous.

To catch all the action live, fans can tune in to The Disc Golf Network (DGN) or follow along with the DGPT's YouTube channel. The DGN is a subscription-based streaming platform that offers exclusive content, including post-produced coverage of select tournaments and original shows.

For those interested in attending the event in person, the DGPT will provide tee times and round ratings, as well as live updates on social media channels like PDGA and Disc Golf Pro Tour.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/elite-peoria